NJPW Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome (4.24.89) review 

 

April 24, 1989  

 

We’re in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Dome. 53,600 in attendance as New Japan flexes its muscles on a grand scale. The IWGP title is vacant, for the third time since its debut in 1987. Inoki and Fuijnami (twice) have forfeited the belt. No one has ever lost the title. Eight men line up here for the vacant belt but Inoki isn’t competing. No, Inoki is main eventing the show, defending his WWF Martial Arts title against Shota Chochisvili. If your immediate reaction is “whomst?” you are not alone. This is from a period in history where Antonio Inoki got very obsessed with Soviet wrestlers. It was an experience!  

 

 

Are you ready for a Super Powers Clash? We have eight men here fighting for the Tokyo Dome Cup.  

 

 

The line up includes not one but two Soviet wrestlers and there are more elsewhere! Inoki invited a bunch of Soviet shooters to come and wrestle for New Japan. They all had amateur backgrounds and nobody knew them in the business. It’s an example of how Inoki thought outside the box and frequently discovered fantastic talents through this obsession with shoot style.  

 

There’s actual English comms on this from Kent Reznick and Nick Bockwinkel. This tournament has some wild rules. You get 10 points and if you lose all ten, you’re disqualified. You can lose points for punching, coming off the top rope and throwing your opponent over the top. You punch someone ten times and you’re finished.  

 

Round One 

 

Masahiro Chono vs. Big Van Vadar  

I’m spelling Vader how it is on screen. The ring announcer, in his fancy red suit, almost gets clobbered because Vader starts the match early. How many points does he get docked for that?  

Wild reasoning for Vader wearing a mask. Nothing to do with intimidation. Apparently he’s prone to getting busted open and the mask provides an extra layer of protection. Vader gets some points docked for a splash off the top. Chono kicks out but the bell rings anyway and Vader wins. Uh huh. Replay shows Chono attempted to kick out but didn’t get his shoulders off the mat. So, it’s a legit call. Crowd seemed confused by it. Not much to write home about. It was very brisk.  

 

Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Vladimir Berkovich 

Big Vlad is 6’2” and looks very heavy set. He’s the first Soviet to ever set foot in a New Japan ring at the Big Egg. Bockwinkel calls this “an example of glasnaught*”. Oh, so close. Glasnaught, Scotland? Comms claim Berkovich is 323lbs. Lies. He is a big lad, but he’s not that big. Seeing as Berkovich is an amateur wrestler, they’ve just got him doing throws and shit. It looks cool.  

 

*The word he’s searching for is “Glasnost” if that wasn’t abundantly clear.  

 

Berkovich does so something cool in defence too. He rolls off his back as soon as he’s on it. He’s used to losing if his shoulders are down for a one count, so he naturally rolls off them. Vlad doesn’t go for pinfalls either. He naturally goes to holds when he gets Fujinami down. Vlad looks like a big, confused looking farmer type. Fujinami feels like a bully for taking advantage of his country bumpkin knowledge of the big leagues and wins with a head triangle. This was cool as shit. Inokism, baby! 

 

Victor Zangiev vs. Buzz Sawyer 

I’ve seen Zangiev before. He looks like a Bulgarian football manager.  

Zangiev was the world junior champion freestyle wrestler at the 1981 championships in Vancouver. He also came second at the World Cup in Toledo in 1985. You know he’s all business because he doesn’t give a fuck about how he looks and there is extensive cauliflowering of the ear region.  

 

Sawyer has been hanging out here the past few years after his American work dried up. He’ll be in WCW next year for his final hurrah. Buzz isn’t too bothered about how he looks here, and he lets Zangiev throw him around a lot. Comms are quick to point out how much more Zangiev has picked up than Berkovich about the pro style. Buzz gets a swank German suplex, thinks he had three, but Zangiev kicks out and hits his own for the win. Brad Rheinghans jumps in there, thinking his man had won it, and Zangiev threatens to kick his ass too. Awesome! All these matches have been tremendous fun. 

 

A Russian beating an American clean in the 1980s. A true act of perestroika.  

 

Shinya Hashimoto vs. Riki Choshu 

Choshu feels like he was from an earlier generation. Hash is the new man on the block. Riki has ten years of experience on him. I love Hashimoto for various reasons. 1. He doesn’t look like a wrestler. 2. He looks like an Elvis Presley impersonator and not when Elvis was young and hot either. 3. He’ll kick your head clean off. 4. Beard is just perfect. 5. Big dudes who hit hard are my thing. 

 

Choshu tries to treat Hash like a bitch so Hash headbutts him and proceeds to unload with kicks. It’s such an intense, hard-hitting match considering it doesn’t even make it to 4:00. Choshu tries to get the Sharpshooter, but Hash rolls him up for the win. Choshu claims he was in the ropes and doesn’t accept the decision. Big Hash is all fired up for winning. Replay shows Choshu wasn’t in the ropes, and he can go fuck himself. This was a big upset and Choshu was among the favourites to win the whole thing.  

 

We end tournament action for a moment for this special attraction match up… 

 

Masa Saito vs. Wakha Eveloev 

WAKHA. EVELOEV.  

Eveloev was European Champion in his weight class in 1984. Bockwinkel predicts this is the beginning of a stream of talent to come out of the Soviet Union. I mean, that felt like a no-brainer at the time. Never happened. Inoki moved on to something else. 

 

Juniors?  

 

The crowd has lost interest in the transsiberian nature of these contests. Eveloev doesn’t do anything new or different and it’s clear Zangiev is the stand out from everyone so far. Eveloev struggles with the concept of a back bump. Eveloev takes it with an armbar, and I find it odd they sent Saito out to lose to this guy. Eveloev clearly the worst of the Russians.  

 

Semi-Finals 

 

Big Van Vader vs. Tatsumi Fujinami 

Vader shows respect with a handshake, instead of just pounding Fujinami into oblivion. What a nice fella. Vader’s power and presence are so great here. He’s terriifyingly huge and mobile with it. This is probably the most agile Vader ever was. Vader is so impressive that Fujinami gets huge reactions for anything he gets. The sensible thing to do would be put the belt on Vader and leave it on him for ages. You would make whoever beats him. Providing it wasn’t some rando you pulled out of the amateur ranks and, oh no, I know where this is going. 

I cannot understate how into Fujinami the crowd is, when he comes close to getting anything on Vader. Vader is such a monster that a suplex gets a huge pop. Fujinami’s tactic involves going after the arm. It’s a tactic that tries to weaken Vader’s offence and allow a potential submission. Vader does, largely, shrug it off. Fujinami gets desperate and comes off the top, costing himself two points, but Vader just catches him and drops him on the ropes. Big splash finishes for Vader! He’s into the final. Vader was a beast and only got booked better when he debuted in WCW (if you can believe that). *** 

 

Victor Zangiev vs. Shinya Hashimoto 

Zangiev is popping the locals now. They’ve fallen in love with his unconventional Russian good looks and rugged body hair. I love how unconventional most of the fighters in this tournament have been. Big Hash gets thrown around a bit and the crowd are into Zangiev. The chemistry isn’t there, sadly, between these two titans of the industry. Zangiev doesn’t look happy about being kicked and Hash doesn’t look happy about being suplexed. Which leaves them with very little. 

 

So, we head to the mat and Bockwinkel gets a bit caught up and goes to applaud some chaining. You know he’s enjoying it! Bock continues to talk about Russian athletes and how they’ll start to take over. Hey, he was right about boxing! Zangiev hurls Hash across the ring with an overhead belly to belly and Hash is HAWT about it. Roundhouse flattens the poor Russian bastard and the Figure Four finishes. This was good but disjointed. I get the feeling there were potatoes and receipts out there. Sometimes watching that kind of legitimate battle is very rewarding.  

 

Bam Bam Bigelow gets interview time and accidentally says he’s worked in front of “larger crowds”. He knows he fucked up and starts rambling.  

 

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Salman Hashimikov 

From a pure ‘amateur success’ point of view, Hashimikov is the golden lion of this group of Russians. Four world titles (1979, 1981, 1982, 1983), a World Cup (1982), two European titles (1979, 1981) and four domestic titles. He’s also a freestyle wrestler, which seems to be beneficial.  

 

It’s mad that someone as good as Bigelow never got a huge push somewhere. You’d think WCW would go for it. Maybe he just felt like a New York guy. Inoki figures it’ll look more impressive if Salman beats him here. Honestly, Hashimikov looks middling. At least he can bump so he’s better than Eveloev at least. Salman manages a big throw and Bigelow flaps around on the mat while being pinned. You need someone to make a non-wrestler look good? Call the Bammer. 

 

Tokyo Dome Cup Final 

Shinya Hashimoto vs. Big Van Vader 

We’re told Zangiev broke his cheek bone when Hash roundhoused him. Someone hurls a drink at Vader’s head, and it bounces off. He’s got the full gimmick on though and barely notices.  

Lou Thesz is the referee here. That’s never a good thing. You get an old timer in there (Kiniski at Starrcade ‘83 springs to mind) and they usually don’t help the guys have a good match. Vader does all his theatrics and Hash just stands there, arms folded, staring a hole in him.  

 

There’s some sneaky good selling from Vader, who had his arm worked over last match, and he holds it behind him to try and avoid contact. Hash knows this is his chance and goes after it like a motherfucker. His reward? Vader backfist. Right in the eye. Vader just bullies Hash. It does make sense to have it structured this way. Hash had only just come back from a North American excursion and wasn’t a big name. His win over Choshu should give him solid street cred for a while. 

 

Hash tees off on that arm and Vader does a sensational job of selling the arm, like he’s a wounded bear. The dismissive forearm that flattens Hash and knocks him clean out of the ring is wonderful stuff. Vader breaks out a running dropkick, which pops the bejesus out of the crowd. Vader goes of that big rope splash but Hash roundhouses him off there. Hash gets an armbar and the crowd are going nuts! I don’t remember this match being this good. Vader tags Hash with a big lariat for the win and Thesz fucks up the pin. It was a great lariat though. ***½ 

 

Post Match: comms has spent the whole night talking about this “Cup” they’re competing for, neglecting to mention (until now), that Vader has also won the IWGP title. Bury the lede, why don’t you? Anyway, Vader wins the title. IT’S VADER TIME!  

His first run was disappointing, and they switched it to Hashimikov (Inoki’s Russian obsession taking over). Vader came back for a second title before the year was out and lasted 12 months second time around. He’d finish with three IWGP titles before jumping ship to WCW, where he’d add three more world titles. Based on his performance here, he looked like he would be the biggest star of the 1990s by a country mile.  

 

Super Powers Combat Championship 

Antonio Inoki (c) vs. Shota Chochisvili  

This is advertised as the “Super Powers Combat Championship” but I’m pretty sure it’s the WWF Martial Arts belt. It was Inoki’s belt, given him by Vincent McMahon Senior. He’s held it for 10 years.  

Inoki gets an interview, with some English, but then he answers questions in Japanese. Inoki’s aim is for “world peace in the ring”. Interesting to lead with “peace”, when they’re having a fight. THE FIGHT FOR PEACE! For there to be peace, people must die. Chochisvili is a former Olympic gold medal winner, back in 1972. Not in amateur wrestling but judo, which is possibly a better transferable skill. Look at Taz! However, Chochisvili never clicked as a wrestler and it’s so bizarre he’s main eventing this show on ZERO previous matches. 

Shota looks like someone grew hair on an egg. Which is appropriate as we’re in the Big Egg Dome! They take down the ropes for this, the latest attempt to make Inoki seem like a legitimate shooter. If only Inoki wasn’t so obsessed with legitimate tough guys. His promotion was wonderful when it was just wrestling. I do like the concept of this show but too often Inokism would overwhelm shows. It is fascinating to watch though.  

 

We’re under a rounds system and the whole process is awkward. Comms calls R1 “uneventful”. Not even thinly veiled code for “boring”. R2 sees Shota do a few throws and armbars. The rules are strange and Inoki survives an armbar just by lying in it and the ref gets them to stand back up. Inoki opts to strike, and Shota has no idea how to respond to that. He can’t sell and doesn’t seem to even understand the concept.  

 

Inoki tries to tell a story whereby his injured arm limits his chances, but Shota just has no idea how to tell wrestling stories. This is one of those main events that sounds great in the booker’s head and ceases to be once it’s happening in reality. In all fairness, the crowd get into Inoki’s resilience as he tries to kick his way out of trouble, only to get thrown on his back a lot and eventually knocked out.  

 

This is exactly what you’d expect to happen when you headline a major show with a guy who’s never wrestled before. Call it around *. Just a bad idea.  

 

The 411: 

The editing on this show is insane. They clipped off a bunch of stuff including Liger’s debut and, most infuriatingly, the George Takano & Super Strong Machine vs. Hiroshi Hase & Shiro Koshinaka match. Presumably because it didn’t fit the narrative of ‘hey, here’s a bunch of Russian shooters’. The overall motif of the show. I’m sure you can get that elsewhere and you should too, because it rules. ****½ territory.  

 

However, I do give Inoki props for how wildly entertaining most of this show was. A huge contrast to the boring undercards for NWA and WWF at the same time. When it came to booking something “interesting” Inoki was often streets ahead of his rivals. A creative mind that wasn’t afraid to look for ideas in non-wrestling places.